AI pushes medical frontiers but it's no replacement for doctors

In the 19th century, the first wave of automation resulted in the faster assembly of products than workers were capable of. The next wave saw the advent of machines that were superior at organising things. In the current world of data analytics, pattern recognition using cognitive computers far surpasses human capability. The advent of new technology has invariably led to the destruction of old jobs and the creation of new ones (“Dealing with AI and job displacement”; May 2). Even more portentous for workers, powerful new technologies are increasingly being adopted not only in mundane and repetitive tasks, but also in professions such as finance, education and even medicine (“Singapore eyes a slice of the AI pie”; April 20). The free flow of healthcare information on the Internet has allowed…